Small town seeing more business while small businesses struggle

By Chelsea Cote

The small town of Coventry, Conn lies in the northern part of the state where big malls are replaced with state forests and New York City seems like a million miles away. But even in this quaint town where the biggest business is a CVS pharmacy, the residents and businesses are still feeling the pressure of the current economic recession.

More business are coming into town which keeps residents hopes high about the economic situation, but there are also ones that are struggling to make it through every month and this leads to many citizens wondering what will happen to their rural town and the property that they live on.

Rancesca’s Italian Bistro will be constructed on Daly Road according to the town’s monthly memo which also says, “We can also look forward to sidewalks reaching Capt. Nathan Hale Middle School with the receipt of a $400,000 State grant to tie into the recent construction on the Route 31 hill.”

This project along with the north Coventry fire station being renovated are two very much needed projects that the residents of Coventry have been trying to put into effect for almost two years.

But even though it may seem that more businesses and public works projects are the signs of better times, it is not the case for many existing businesses and the residents that live within the 38 square mile area.

Meet me on Main; a popular coffee shop and eatery located on Main Street in historic Coventry village is feeling the effects of the recession in a very big way. Even though every morning the shop is filled with faithful customers and businessmen eating breakfast before work, it is still not earning the profits it needs to keep afloat. Two employees were recently let go because there was simply not enough money to pay them, so the owner, Leanne Comeau needs to add more working hours to her already busy schedule.

Other recent businesses that have closed include, Constantino’s pizza restaurant and Coventry Antiques.

According the U.S. Census, in 2005 there were only 1,906 employees in the entire town of Coventry, and that number could keep fluctuating and even dropping if the trend continues. The two largest local employers are the town of Coventry and the Coventry board of education. The third is the local supermarket, Highland Park Market, which is known for hiring mostly high school students and recent graduates. More big businesses would certainly bring more jobs to the town.

But many homeowners in Coventry feel that they do not want their open space to be jeopardized. Resident Jean Cote says “the open space is what gives our town it’s charm. Many people live here just for that.”

The average price of a home in Coventry has decreased 6.6% in the last year, compared to a statewide drop of 4.7% and a national drop of 4.6%. Many residents fear that if more businesses come in to replace the smaller, locally owned businesses that the price of their homes will loose value, because property would be cut down by development and no one would be flocking to town because of the rural charm.

He says, “The real taxpayers will have to work harder, and property taxes will go up.”

According to Patrick Sullivan, a former board member in the town of Coventry, and economics professor, the state of Connecticut just had its bond rating dropped.

Even though big business would increase the number of jobs and the amount of money that would come into the town, the locals do not want to see the small business go under.